Domnina, Shabalin moving to Linichuk

I honestly have no idea what my reaction is to this; I can't put just one name on it. Tanith and Ben have just gained new training mates and of all teams, it's Domnina and Shabalin.
What a soap opera this off season is turning out to be! What's next?

Wow! I am of two minds on this. On the one hand, I am not sure Gorshkov can help Do&Sh improve as much as they need to, so I am glad they are making a switch. OTOH, I dislike Linichuk, and would have wanted them to choose a different coach.

Wow! I am of two minds on this. On the one hand, I am not sure Gorshkov can help Do&Sh improve as much as they need to, so I am glad they are making a switch. OTOH, I dislike Linichuk, and would have wanted them to choose a different coach.

Ptichka - Do you dislike Linichuk on a personal level or a professional one? I always thought linichuk was one of the top Skate Dance coaches.

Do you think they will like living in Jersey. So many Russian skaters seem to dislike it. That's not a healthy way to train.

So Domina and Shabalin, Belbin and Agosto's biggest rivals have moved to the US to train with the same coach as the americans?

DRAMA

One of the reasons that Tanith and Ben moved is because they were one of three top level dance teams under the same coach. I cannot imagine this situation will be any better. Somehow I can't picture Tanith and Ben making friends with these practice mates, as they did with Davis and White.

This is really cray that the russian would do something like this. I has respect for them last year, although they were Tanith and Ben's biggest threat. not sure if i still have that respect.

One of the reasons that Tanith and Ben moved is because they were one of three top level dance teams under the same coach. I cannot imagine this situation will be any better. Somehow I can't picture Tanith and Ben making friends with these practice mates, as they did with Davis and White.

This is really cray that the russian would do something like this. I has respect for them last year, although they were Tanith and Ben's biggest threat. not sure if i still have that respect.

B/A never explicitly said that their move was because three was a crowd, that was merely speculation. So, this may not really affect them at all.

And why would you lose respect for them just because they are switching to the same coach as their rivals? Many skaters do that. Just think Oda/Takahashi.

I have to believe, though, that B/A most definitely thought "three was a crowd". They are used to being top dog. I really don't think D/S coming on board with Linichuk is going to sit well with them. They can pretend it doesn't bother them but I'll bet they are upset. Just my thoughts.

I remember well what it was like for G/P and K/O. It was tense. Their "friendship" was a sham.

Ptichka - Do you dislike Linichuk on a personal level or a professional one? I always thought linichuk was one of the top Skate Dance coaches.

When Soviet Union fell apart, many rinks closed. Due to her close friendship with Alla Shekhovtsova (Piseev's wife), Linichuk got most of the elite ice dancers. Her handling of the many competing teams was questionable at best. It is speculated that she almost purposely held down (in particular a Ukrainian team whose name escapes me at the moment) some teams in order to help others. She could afford to make rash decisions because she had such an amazing fleet of skaters. For example, it is still a mystery how much she had to do with Averbukh choosing to skate with Lobacheva instead of Anissina. However, even if it were all his decision, it is still remarkable that Linichuk did not lift a finger to help Anissina's career in Russia. Well, she certainly got her karmic revenge in 2002! Or, take Navka & Kostomarov when they were still with Linichuk. Certainly, Linichuk just decided one day that Navka had no future in the sport and told Kostomarov to dump her. Here is also something I find interesting in a Kostomarov interview (http://ptichkafs.livejournal.com/12222.htm):"Lininchuk was much more lenient with the male skaters than she was with the girls. Male skaters could get away with a lot. If something wasn’t working, I could throw something at Tanya, even shove her on the ice. I totally did not know how to control myself.". Karmic revenge, again, when Navka & Kostomarov became Olympic champions under a different coach. Even going back a bit further - after 1994, she told Gritchuk that she did not think it wise to try to go for two gold medals; this is what forced G&P to go searching for another coach, eventually settling in with Tarasova. Again, of course, karmic revenge in 1998. Come to think of it, Linichuk certainly has had reasons to feel very frustrated with herself during the past 3 Winter Olympics.

Now, having said all that, let me shift gears a bit. Linichuk has certainly learned her lesson, and learned it well. She has by now lost her arrogance. She has also improved a lot as a coach - I believe she really got as much out of Lobacheva & Averbukh as was humanly possible; she has also done a good job with Denkova & Stavijski (btw, I think it was probably them that suggested this switch).

I remember well what it was like for G/P and K/O. It was tense. Their "friendship" was a sham.

True, but then again who could ever be friends with Gritchuk There are many example to the contrary, too - Bin Yao's three teams, or Kazakova& Dmitriev and Berezhnaya & Sikhuralidze. Though I am not arguing that this doesn't look strange.

Oh no, this won't be good for Tanith and Ben... I actually thought that being the number 1 team alone would lift some pressure from them, but of all the people Domnina & Shabalin...
So much drama next season...